In 2014 Future Foundations worked with over 60 volunteers who supported our staff in delivering exceptional programmes to enable young people to reach their full potential. In 2015 we expect to get even bigger!
The 2014 Volunteer of the Year Award went to….
Tam! This award went to one of our volunteers whose actions completely embody the values of Future Foundations and has contributed their time tirelessly to help us achieve our mission. Tam’s dedication and enthusiasm on NCS Summer were unrivalled. His commitment to travelling from Nottingham to Berkshire each week (for three weeks plus the training) was a clear demonstration of his desire to be the best he could be at his role. He developed massively as a staff member and his interaction with the young people was positive and progressive.
We want to highlight the hard work and commitment of the people who gave their time, skills and energy to programmes including NCS Spring and Summer 2014, Global Social Leaders, the Legacy Careers Project and the McKinsey Leadership Academy. We want to celebrate YOU so please continue to send us your stories and experiences of the summer.
One of our volunteers Louis talks about his summer here
LATEST VOLUNTEER BLOG
As a facilitator for the Legacy Careers Project, I would say I developed more of my team working skills, compared to leadership skills. I learned to give other people (especially the team leaders) an opportunity to lead activities, compared to trying to do everything alone. This also gave them the opportunity to grow and develop their own skills; yet simply overseeing the team leaders is also something I also found quite difficult to do.
Participating in this project has strengthened my problem solving skills, which has giving me practice on how to quickly respond to unexpected situations, especially in a classroom environment, especially since I am an aspiring teacher. The LCP has also given me the chance to inspire young people and encourage them in thinking ‘big’ in terms of career goals, and I felt that conversation with the students on their ideal job was a very important one, in encouraging them that they can make their ideal job a reality.
The most challenging part of the LCP for me was when I lead the ‘Body Language and Voice zone’ and finished ten minutes early and was unaware of what to do. At which, the team leaders responded by leading a game ‘Wink Murderer’ but instead of winking, the murder walked around the room and rather than shaking everybody’s hand, would poke their index finger at the palm of the opponent’s hand. At this, I could calm down and watch, whilst linking back to the theme of dying dramatically and making eye contact with those in the room, tying it together with the Body Language and Eye zone.
The highlight of LCP for me was definitely seeing the thrill in the students eyes after the interview, which contrasted with the panic in their faces before the interview. It gave them a sense of self pride and belief in themselves, and I was happy to be part of the process by calming down the students and reminding them to simply be themselves when finding themselves in that sort of environment. Additionally, I also loved seeing the teams unite in shouting their chant, which also created a positive sense of competition, as well as establishing a sense of team identity.
Elizabeth Annor-Agyei
During summer 2014 we had:
9
NCS Volunteers
15
Legacy Careers Project Mentors
34
McKinsey Leadership Mentors and Alumni
11
Global Social Leaders Alumni
3000
hours of social action project work
41
of FF staff this year were volunteers
Our volunteer’s experiences of 2014
Tam – NCS Summer
It was amazing for me to watch people’s confidence go up as days went by, from the first day where it was awkwardly silent between the young people to the last day where everyone was talking to each other, sharing banter around and treating each other as if they knew one another for years! It made me feel proud of myself thinking that I helped these individuals gain more confidence as the days went by, also with the help from FF staff that I was working with. I have learnt new ways of dealing with tough situations, new teaching methods, it has also helped me gain new leadership experience.
Emily – McKinsey Leadership Academy
I first heard about FF through gaining a place on the McKinsey Leadership Academy 2012. The program really inspired me and so this year I could only jump at the chance to help at the academy as alumni. I was part of the operations and logistics team and could usually be found running around with the 10 other alumni, working behind the scenes to make sure the program ran smoothly. It was a privilege to get to know the new cohort of leaders and hear about their experiences so far and to work alongside the FF team. My biggest achievement in
this role would be managing to keep a smile on my face and continue to be over-enthusiastic about everything on very little sleep and another highlight was definitely getting to wear one of the blue FF t-shirts. It was a hugely rewarding experience working on a program that students gain so much from and I hope to be involved again with FF work next year.Louis – NCS Summer
I just wanted to quickly drop you an email to say thank you for allowing me to volunteer on a week of the NCS programme this Summer with FF. The staff team were the best I have ever worked with – and I felt welcomed as a valuable member of the team. Although the programme has changed significantly since FF ran my Summer 2012 NCS programme I still feel that the work FF is doing with NCS is beyond amazing, and even though I only spent a small period of time with the young people, I saw how they grew and developed over the 5 days of coaching, mentoring and learning. I can now see just how valuable Future Foundations is, whether that be through delivering NCS, GSL or other programmes.
Amani – McKinsey Leadership Academy
I first heard about Future Foundations when I took part in the McKinsey Leadership Programme in 2012. I decided that I wanted to volunteer to support the operations of the Academy to see how the programme usually comes together, as well as to learn more about the company itself and being a leader. I mainly helped out with the operations behind the programme, however was lucky enough to help FF and McKinsey deliver content and interact with the 2013 and 2014 cohort. Due to the 2012 programme inspiring and helping me become a better leader, I felt I had a duty to inspire the younger cohort. However, it struck me to find out that they inspired me more than I inspired them. I was very impressed with the projects the graduates undertook over the past year and how both they, and the 2014 academy cohorts, approached some of the tasks they were given whilst they were in Wellington College. This has made me rethink about some of the extra-curricular activities that I took part in and has inspired me to try to make a bigger impact in my local community. Overall I really enjoyed my time as a volunteer, from meeting the new cohort to practicing yoga in the middle of the night. It also made me realize how much hard work was put in to make events like this happen and for that I cannot thank FF enough for having me on the programme.
How can volunteering with Future Foundations develop you:
World of Work Skills
FF Volunteers will get to experience a vast range of sessions to enhance their own creativity. We also encourage our people to be enterprising and follow their passions.
Volunteers will support on sessions and operations and gain experience of public speaking.
Volunteers are integral to creating an atmosphere of self confidence and trust in the young people, for example supporting on sessions like Trust Fall to help others overcome fears.
We empower our volunteers to feel equipped with the tools they need to contribute with energy and stay motivated
Volunteers on an FF programme will gain an understanding of leadership roles and styles, personal leadership abilities and an understanding of appropriate delegation.
Mentoring
Our mentors and business coaches are able to explore and develop their own leadership styles.
You will work directly with a mentee and support them in goal-setting
Volunteers have the opportunity to develop their own interview skills when working with young people on programmes.
Our mentors and business coaches who volunteer are able to contribute their own experiences and skills to the young people, however they benefit themselves from continued professional development, increasing their network and gaining new insights and perspectives.
Inspiration
Don't wait to be a hero....have a watch of these videos:
Resources
We've put together some links below for you to discover more volunteering opportunities